Electrical sign.



T. S. HASTINGS.

ELECTRICAL SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1913.

1,1 18,765, Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SIIEETSSHEET 1.

EA gbflnomtoz PS-Hastings.

T. S. HASTINGS.

ELECTRICAL SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29,191.").

1, 1 1 8,765. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Illlllllljllll Flwuemtoz T.5.Ha5tinqs' TRUMAN S. HASTINGS, OF DETROIT,MICHIGAN.

/ ELECTRICAL SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24., 1914.

Application filed May 29, 1913. Serial No. 770,557.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TRUMAN S. HASTINGS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Signs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to electric signs having changeable illuminatedletters, particularly that type in which a field of light units isprovided, to be energized in any desired order at will, and adapted tobe used to represent line drawings of script in process of formation. Iam familiar with such construction for this purpose as illustrated inthe Patent N 0. 1,040,417 5, and the one numbered 546,799, and it is anobject to give a construction and method whereby the practicability ofsuch a display will be further increased.

An important object is-to enable the very close spacing of the contactunits on a master board from which the display field ma be controlled bymeans of a 'encil brus manipulated in the same way t at an ordi-- narydrawing lead pencil would be.

It is a further important purpose to enable the control of a lightcircuit by an electro-magnetic circuit maker and breaker, in such a waythat liability of heating of a small magnet by a sustained currentrequired for its operation is obviated.

An important attainment of the invention is'the facilitation of acorrection, which may be made with certainty without the necessity forcutting out any but the particular lights improperly lit, the operatingpencil being applicable to use as the correcting agent without themanipulation of any switches or cutouts.

Additional objects and advantages will appear, some being apparent fromthe following description and from the drawings, in wh1ch'- Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view of the lighting circuits, Fig. 2 is a similar viewof the actuating circuits for the circuit breakers, Fig. 3 is a detailof the switch in the lighting circuit at the circuit breakers.

There is illustrated diagrammatically a. section of a sign 10 comprisinga multiplicity of lam units 11 arranged in orderly series very c osel;spaced together, the construction of Wl'llCh may be readily understoodby those versed in the art, so that the actual mechanical constructionof the sign and the mounting for the lights, etc., is not illustrated.Equal numbers of the lights are connected at one side with the positiveand negative leads 12 and 13 of the generators l4 and 15, the negativeand positive leads 16 and 17 are connected to the neutral '18 of theusual three wire circuit. In a suitable situation, a correspondingseries of switch units 19 are mounted, including each a switch 20 oneterminal of each switch being connected to the neutral, while the otheris connected by one of the branch wires 21 to a respective lamp 11, atthe side opposite that on which the lamp is connected with the generatorlead 16 or 17 as the case may be. Thus when the switch is closed, theparticular lamp to which it is connected is energized.

A master board 22 is provided, having contacts each connected by adirect actuating wire 23 to one end of the winding of the magnet 24 ofthe unit 19 arranged to energize'a lamp 11 corresponding in position onthe board or field of the sign 10 with the position of the particularcontact on the master board. The details of the mechanical constructionof the board not being a part of this invention are not illustrated, andwill be understood readily by those versed in the art. It is desirable,however that the board have a perfectly smooth face, and that thecontacts be set flush'therein and also smoothly v finished, so that thebrush pencil may slip easily thereon. It is also considered desirablethat the board and contacts be made of dark material, and the surface ofthe board and contacts covered before each operation of the device witha coating of chalk, or some other light colored material suitable forthe purpose, whereby when the pencil is moved over the face of theboard, visible lines will I be made forming a record of what is on thesign.

The construction of the pencil is very simple, and comprises merely acylinder 26 of some non-conducting material provided at respective endswith contact portions of suitable form, the first named bein connectedwith the negative terminal of a battery 28 and the other being connectedto the positive terminal of the battery by wires 29 leading from theside of the pencil near the middle, as indicated. These con tacts may beof any desired form, for the purposes in view and'may consist of a smallbunch of wi res, by which broad lines may be produced in the lettersrepresented, by slight pressure, or any other suitable device may beemployed as a brush contact. 'The contact 27 is utilized to illuminatethe sign.

The circuit making and breaking units each comprise anelectromagnet 2imounted upon a suitable insulator support 30, upon which is resilientlymo-unted'the armature bar to move into respectivevoups 36 of a mercury;switch. 20,'-the"cups bein formed ina' block 31 normally spaced from,but arranged to move toward the magnet when energized. The positiveelectrode of the battery is connected by wire 24ft' directly with oneend of the winding of the magnet opposite its connection with the masterboard 22. llhe armature is connected with the negativete-rminal of thebattery direct by a wire. 31 and on the support there is a resistanceand contact 32 arranged to beengaged .by a screw 33 in the armature whenthe armature is actuated by the magnet. i This contact and resistanee 32is connected by wire 32 with thetsame end ofthe magnet winding as therespective contact of thelmaster board. lhus when the contact 27isengaged with a contact in. the master board acircuit is completedthrough a magnet, which, drawing the armature down will complete anindependentv circuit directly to the battery.

carried thereby in a suitable manner there isa switch yoke 35,having twoarms arranged 3;? of suitable material. he cups are partly filled with.mercury 38, and on the mercury there is a body of oil39, suficient tofill the cups when the arms ofthe yoke are fully engaged therein. Thedepth of the oil exceeds thatoit the mercury, asshown, but thisproportion isnotarbitrary. By having the mercury at the same, level; ineach cup and the arms of theyokearranged to engage the mercurysimultaneously, sparking is practically eliminated, and a good contactefiected net isrample'forits operation. v 7 It will be seen-that a verysmall amount of currentwill be required, to operate the devices, so thatthere needbe ,no danger. of

overheating otthe'gm'agnets no matter] how.

long they are energized, and the lighting circuit will have no'edect on'the controlling circuit; l[t will be appreciated that -"with a lowvoltage current, as well as onevwith a very low.amperage,. vvhich maybe.used to control. the light circuits, the contacts onwithoutqtrictiomzso thate very small mago magnets, a masterboard havlngcontacts the "master board may be "very closely spaced, withoutobjectionable sparking or possibility of dangerous shock in using thepencil, and the liability of accidental operation of lights connectedwith contacts on the board 22 beyond the path of the pencil is alsoeliminated. In order to quickly clear or darken the entire sign, puttingout any lights that may be lit thereon, a simple switch 40 is providedin the direct circuit from the battery to the magnets, the openingfofwhich. releases all armatures and opens all switches 20. The low voltagehere involved makes sparking practically m'l and the lights of thesignh'aving individual switches 20', they will all be cut out withoutsparking and without requiring power or attention.

In the event that an error is made in the writingfiofa, displa it willappear on the master board, and y inverting the pencil 26 andrubbing'the'contact, 2'; over those on the board 22 in-the area of theinadvertent lines, a short circuit is made in the respective energizing(circuits outside the magnets, causing; the'release of their armaturesand breaking of the. particular lamp circuits, and leaving all otherlights undisturbed. This is of great advantage, and v the positivenesswith which the. correction may be made, aswell as the obviation of thenecessity for putting out all lights and beginning the display all over,will eatly increase the desirability of this met 0d of I,

displayingadvertisements.

If it is desired touse very ,small'lamps so; that the breadth ofthelines drawn will be represented by, say, three li hts, the pencil may beprovidedwith a brus formed of a bunch of wiresdl engaged in the end, asshown in Fig. 5.

What is claimed is: 7

1. A device of the character. described comprising a multiplicityofjhigh potential lamp circuits, individual circuit breakers therein,respective resilient means tending to hold the breakers in openposition; a corresponding number of electric magnets, armaturesconnected to respective circuit breakers for closing, and movable by themagnets when energized I to close the breakers, a source oi: lowpotential cur rent, a direct connection between one pole thereof and oneterminal of each of the thereon each electrically connected with theother terminal of respective magnets, a normally open by circuit fromthe last named terminal of the magnets to the pole of the last namedpole for engagement with the contacts'to initially energize the maets,

and a similar brush member connected with the first named pole for shortcircuiting the by circuits individually, as described.

2. In a device of the class described a multiplicity of lamp circuits,electromagnetic circu t makers and breakers for, and tending to breakthe circuits individually, separate circuits for energizing the breakerscomprising a normally open circuit including a contact, a pencil, abrush at one end thereof for closing the circuit as described, a bycircuit adapted to be closed by operation of the breakers to close thelamp circuits and a brush at the opposite end of said pencil of oppositepotential from the first for engagement with said contact to shortcircuit the by circuit.

3. A system of electrical distribution including a high potentialcircuit, a switch for breaking the circuit comprising an in lationtherewith,'manually operable means to energize the magnet, meansoperable under closin of the switch to energize the magnet, an means toshort circuit said last named energizing means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

' TRUMAN S. HASTINGS. Witnesses Jorm W. EISMAN, Gnonen J. FINN.

